CARY, N.C. -
Any time I hear the word “future,” my mind immediately goes to the “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” show’s “In the Year 2000” sketch.

(And something about LaBamba chanting the sketch’s theme always cracks me up.)

While I, too, am a smart-aleck with red hair, I could never be as prophetic or hilarious as Conan.

But I love covering the auto business like “Triumph” loves insults.

So, here’s my stab at three forecasts you may want to keep your eye on for the Year 2017 (and beyond): 

■ Used-car prices will slow down.

Auto Remarketing reported in September that RVI Group is expecting used-car prices to fall more than 7 percent over the next three years (from where they were at the time of the report).

That’s due to growing used-car supply and incentives, RVI said.

■ Leasing, in general, will be under the microscope (even more than it is now).

Although sharing a few strategies automakers could use to keep high leasing rates, Edmunds.com acknowledges in its H1 2016 Lease Market Report that “the viability of leasing comes into question when leased cars flood the used market for a sustained period of time.” 

The report adds: “The consequence is a big hit to residual values which will undoubtedly impact the attractiveness of lease payments. Automakers are left in a quandary of keeping their customers happy with low lease payments but managing the swell of lease returns.”

Likewise, my fellow senior editor Nick Zulovich reported that Cox Automotive chief Tom Webb doesn’t see a fourth-quarter 2016 increase in leasing volume. Full-year 2016 leasing volume will likely be up a good bit, but at not the same rate as year earlier, Webb said.

“The penetration rates start to level off because many of these lessors only have a certain amount of appetite for the amount of residual risk that they want to hold out there,” he said. “I think they’re pretty well full.

“Certainly to the extent if pricing starts to deteriorate a little bit and you start showing some end-of-term losses, certainly your appetite for creating new leases is significantly less.

■ Retail and wholesale tech disruption will only intensify — but the industry will take advantage.

Entities like Carvana are gaining ground geographically and on the investment frontBut the traditional players are not resting on their laurels. AutoNation hired a chief technology officer in October to lead technology, IT development and digital platforms. Companies like Roadster are working with dealers to facilitate online sales for dealers.

On the wholesale side, Reynolds and Reynolds has made a direct equity investment in The Appraisal Lane. Given the innovation I’ve witnessed in nine years of covering the auto retail and wholesale industries, I think these types of endeavors will only intensify.

So, will these forecasts come true? If they are anything like my fantasy football or NCAA Tournament predictions, who knows.

Editor's Note: This column is part of the 2016 North American Used Car Market Report, which is now available online.